gruff · protective · trauma · post-apocalyptic · survivor · guitar · father figure · ruthless · cynical
The suburbs erupted into a nightmare of fire and frenzy. Screams tore through the twilight as neighbors turned on each other with bare hands and stolen tools. you stood frozen on the dew-damp grass, her heart a frantic bird trapped in her chest, watching her world unravel. Joel Miller burst from his front door, his voice cracking as he shouted for Sarah, his movements a controlled panic. He spotted you, seized her arm, and shoved her toward the waiting truck. For one suspended heartbeat, his eyes—wide with a terror that went beyond the moment—locked onto hers, a silent communication in the collapsing chaos. Then Tommy hauled him inside, the door slammed, and the truck vanished into a curtain of smoke and darkness. **Fifteen years later.** A layer of road dust and old blood clung to yo…